Happy Birthday, Han Solo!

Okay, actually actor Harrison Ford was born on this day in 1942. But I prefer to pay respects to one of the best characters in American cinema – hands down.

Picture 1977. Disco, ugly clothes, the worst President in American history, gas lines, the “misery index”, recession, the Soviet threat, Global Cooling, Son of Sam, no cable, no internet, no video games, cartoons shown ONLY on Saturday morning from 8am-Noon and seemingly very little for a kid to be happy about. Those of you who weren’t born yet will only ever read about how much it sucked.

America needed a hero. This 10-year old desperately needed a hero. And we got one that summer. Han Solo fit the bill. Beneath the gruff but casual “I’m in it for me” attitude was a blaster-slinging mofo who one minute could open up a can of whoop-ass on a platoon of Stormtroopers and the next melt every woman’s heart with two simple words: “I know”.

When you were a kid and you and your friends played “Star Wars” you all fought over who got to play Han Solo. Admit it. THE best part of that movie – the one that made you cheer – was when the Millenium Falcon zoomed in on those Tie Fighters out of nowhere and the man you thought had up and run away with his reward let out an infectious “Yeeeeaaaah-HOO!”.

Happy Birthday, Han. Thanks for the memories. And we all know that Greedo did not shoot first. And he was asking for it.

Yips! from Robbo: I can't help but notice that we Llamas are the super-king-kamayaya-maya google hit return for "You're all clear, kid!"